Counting machine



Nov. 23, 1943. c PAYNE 2,335,023

COUNTING MACHINE Filed Sept. 27, 1940 I 3 Sheets-Sheet l m VEN 7'01? IYTTOJPNEY Nov. 23, 1943. c PAYNE 2,335,023

COUNTING MACHINE INVIN TO R ATTDRNEY Nov. 23, 1943. c. N, PAYNE COUNTING MACHINE a Shets-Sheet 5 Filed Sept. 27, 1940 INVENTOR k M a W Patented Nov. 23, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlCE COUNTING MACHINE Olaud N. Payne, Morgan, Tex. Application September 27, 1940, Serial No. 358,727

1 Claim.

My invention relates to improvements in machines adapted to count and visibly register individual actuations thereof, and theprima'ry object of my invention is to provide a simple and efficient arrangement of this character.

Other important objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from a reading of the following description taken in connection with the drawings, wherein for purposes of illustration I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a general front elevational view of the embodiment showing the dials with the hands applicable to the dials removed, and showing in dotted lines mechanism operating the hands.

Figure 2 is a rear elevational view of Figure 1 showing the operating mechanism in operated position.

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view showing the mechanism of Figure 2 in top plan.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral l4 generally designates a suitable horizontally elongated generally rectangular casing having the rear wall 14 and the forward partition l5 spaced and connected by ends l5 and I1, respectively, which have forwardly projecting portions carrying a frame in which is mounted a glass 64 in forwardly spaced relation to the partition I5. On the horizontally spaced dials l and 2, respectively, the dial 1 being circumferentially divided into graduations representing units of five, counting from five to one hundred, in a counter-clockwise direction. The dial 2 is into equal divisions numbered from one to twenty clockwise. A hand or pointer 43 is mounted in front of the dial I to turn on an axis aligned with the center of the dial, while a similarly arranged hand 42 is mounted with respect to the dial 2, both hands being in front of the partition l5 and behind the glass 44.

The hand 42 is fastened to a shaft which is mounted in a bearing sleeve 40 with suitable brass bearings [3 at the front and rear ends of the shaft, the bearings being mounted on the rear wall 14 and the partition 15', respectively; On the said shaft H3 is fixed a relatively large sprocket wheel 4 with sixty teeth thereon and over which is trained a sprocket chain 3 which is also trained over a small sprocket wheel 1 provided with twelve teeth. The sprocket I is fixed on the shaft 9 which is mounted in end bearings l2 at the front and rear ends thereof on the rear wall I4 and the partition l5 to the right of the shaft l6.

Also fixed on the shaft 9 is a gear wheel 5 having eighty teeth which is in mesh with a'pinion 6 which is provided with twenty teeth, the latter pinion being mounted on the shaft 8 which is supported in bearings H on the rear wall I4 and front face of the partition l5 are circumferentially divided partition 15, with a spacing sleeve 4| circumposed on the shaft between the partition and the rear wall, as clearly shown in Figure 3 of the drawings. The shaft 8 rotatably supports the hand or pointer 43 in front of the dial I.

The shaft 8 extends rearwardly through the rear wall H where it has mounted thereon the relatively large ratchet wheel I5 which is provided with twenty teeth Hi and with a corresponding number of lateral pins l1 projecting from the back of the ratchet wheel IE3 at points intermediate the opposite ends of the corresponding ratchet teeth. A ratchet dog 24, in the form of a leaf spring, has its free end engaged with the periphery of the ratchet wheel 15 and has its opposite end anchored as indicated by the numeral 26 to the back Wall 14 of the casing at a point above and to the right of the ratchet wheel as seen in Figure 2. To the right and below the ratchet wheel l5 extends in a general-1y horizontal position a flat steel spring [8 which has its right hand end mounted on a bracket 45 attached to the casing back l4 and its left hand free end engaged under the pins 11 so that the spring i8 is depressed by the pins I! as the ratchet wheel Hi rotates in a clockwise direction as seen in Figure 2.

Pivoted slightly above and to the right of the ratchet wheel l5 at the point indicated by the numeral 22, to the back wall Id of the casing is the substantially perpendicular lever 2| which has above its pivotal point a series of vertically spaced adjustment holes any one of which may receive a pivot IS on the right hand end of the hori zontal link 25.

Below the pivotal point 22 the lower part of the lever 2| has a right angularly extending triangular shaped hook 23 which has a substantially horizontal upper face and a lower face which inclines in a left hand direction, the hook being positioned in substantial horizontal alignment with the shaft 8.

The left hand end of the substantially horizontal link 25 is pivoted at 28 to a bracket 29 rising from an intermediate part of a downwardly curved leaf spring pawl 21 which is pivoted at its left hand end on a pin 36 in one of the vertically spaced adjustment holes in the upper part of the lever 31. A guide bracket 3!] is connected to the back wall of the casing under the leaf spring pawl 21 to support and guide it and the link 25. The right hand and free end of the spring pawl 21 has a relatively rounded nose portion engageable with the teeth of the ratchet wheel l5 at the upper part thereof as illustrated in Figure 2.

The lever 31 is formed of a flat bar which has its lower part turned at right angles to its upper part and secured along the link 32. A spring stop 38 mounted on the wall It is provided to limit the right hand swing of the lever 31, to prevent the ratchet wheel l from being turned more than the distance between two adjacent teeth thereof.

The lower extremity of the lever 31 has a spring 33 stretched between it and a part on the solenoid bracket 34.

The solenoid 3| has extending therethrough the sliding core 32 which is hinged at its left hand end at 3| to the upper end of the link 32' on which the lever 31 is mounted and whose lower end is pivoted at 33' to the horizontal portion 39 of the solenoid bracket. Suitable wires 46 lead from the solenoid to a suitable source of electrical energy and a switch. The switch is adapted to be periodically closed as the counting is performed so as to actuate the solenoid which produces operation of the parts described.

Referring to Figure 2 of the drawings, at each momentary closing of the switch (not shown) the solenoid 3! is energized and attracts its core 32, thereby causing the upper end of the lever 31 to swing over toward the right in Figure 2 on the axis of the pivot 33'. The spring pawl 21 is thereby moved toward the right through its connection with the upper end of the lever 31 whereby the working end of the spring pawl pushes against the adjacent tooth of the ratchet wheel I5. At the same time the link 25 which is connected to the pawl 21 moves toward the right and thereby swings the upper end of the lever 2| toward the right, thereby causing the lower end of the lever 2| to move toward the left and place its hook 23 in the path of the pins I! on the ratchet wheel. The pins I 1 are so spaced and the hook 23 is so designed that the clockwise rotation of the ratchet wheel is limited for each actuation of the solenoid to one notch of the ratchet wheel or about 18 degrees of rotation. The ratchet wheel I5 is prevented from reverse rotation by the spring dog 24 and is held firmly in its new advanced position at the end of each operation by-the engagement of the spring l8 with one of the pins IT. The ratchet wheel I 5 is prevented from rotating backwardly by the ratchet dog 24 and the ratchet wheel is held firmly in the new position at the end of each movement by the engagement of the spring l8 with one of the pins 11.

The right hand swing of the lever 31 and spring pawl 21 is accompanied by right hand movement of the link 25, which is so connected to the upper part of the lever 2| that the lower hook equipped part of the lever 2| is swung toward the left and its hook 23 engaged under the pin I! on the ratchet wheel just as the rotation of the ratchet wheel to the new position has taken place, thereby positively preventing further rotation of the ratchet wheel in the same direction. Upon deenergization of the solenoid following the described operation, the spring 33 contracts and the upper part of the lever31 is swung toward the left. This retracts the spring pawl 21 to engage a succeeding tooth on the ratchet wheel l5 and at the same time the link 25 causes the hook on the lower end of the lever 2| to withdraw in a right hand direction from the pin IT. The hook stays in this withdrawn position until again operated as described above, so that the ratchet wheel is free to be turned one tooth before the hook comes into holding position again.

The movement of the ratchet wheel l5 causes being engageable with the dial hand 43 to move eighteen degrees or a distance equal to five units on the dial I. The machine, being given as desscribed, provides that one complete revolution of the dial hand 43 will cause the dial hand 42 to revolve eighteen degrees or a distance equal to one hundred units on the dial 2. Figure 2 shows the arrangement of the parts immediately upon completion of an action such as described above, but before the coil spring 33 has returned the lever 31 and connected parts to initial left hand position.

Although I have shown and described herein a preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be definitely understood that I do not wish to limit the application of the invention thereto, ex cept as may be required by the scope of the subjoined claim.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

In a device of the character described, a sup port, a ratchet wheel mounted for rotation on said support, lateral pins projecting from said ratchet wheel at intervals corresponding to the spacing of the teeth of said ratchet wheel, a yieldable spring detent on said support, said detent being arranged to engage the said pins, 2. yieldable ratchet dog on said support to engage the teeth of said ratchet wheel to positively prevent reverse rotation of the ratchet wheel, said yieldable spring detent being arranged to engage one of the said pins in a manner to hold the ratchet wheel in a position in which a ratchet tooth is kept engaged with said yieldable ratchet dog, said ratchet dog and said detent being arranged to yield to permit rotation of said ratchet wheel in its operating direction, a hook lever pivoted intermediate its ends on said support at one side of said ratchet wheel on an axis substantially parallel to that of the ratchet wheel, one end of said hook lever having a hook projecting' toward the ratchet wheel, said hook being arranged to engage behind any of the pins on said ratchet wheel to prevent rotation of said ratchet wheel in its operating direction, said hook the pins between said ratchet dog and said detent, an operating lever on the opposite side of said ratchet wheel, an armature supportably pivoted to said operating lever at a point intermediate the ends of said operating lever, an electromagnet on said support between said operating lever and said ratchet wheel for swinging one end of said operating lever in a direction toward said ratchet wheel whenever said electromagnet is momentarily energized, spring means for returning said operating lever to initial position after operation, a flexible ratchet pawl pivoted at one end to the said one end of the operating lever, the opposite end of said ratchet pawl being yieldably engaged with the periphery of the ratchet wheel, said opposite end of the pawl having a terminal arranged to engage the heel of any ratchet tooth and push the ratchet wheel in its operating direction when said operating lever is actuated by energization of the electromagnet, and a link connecting an intermediate part of said flexible ratchet pawl and a point on said hook lever on the opposite side of its pivoted point from its hook, whereby the hook lever is operated to insert itshook behind one of the pins on the ratchet wheel as the ratchet wheel is turned the distance of one tooth.

CLAUD N. PAYNE. 

